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Day: 26 February 2018

City Council defends Antwerp closure

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in News.

Antwerp Mansion will be forced to close permanently in one month, after its what its bosses described as an “eight-month planning wrangle with [Manchester City] Council.”

Speaking to The Mancunion, councillor Angeliki Stogia, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Skills, said, “any suggestion that this decision is about anything other than the fact that Antwerp Mansion were not operating appropriately is completely wrong.”

Mrs Stogia’s comments come after the club, club-goers, and DJs criticised the Council for “plan[ning] to destroy all nightlife that is not in the city centre,” as Antwerp Mansion stated in a press release.

She continued: “we are a city that welcomes students, supports student nightlife and knows how to enjoy itself. What we don’t welcome is businesses such as Antwerp Mansion which consistently fail to engage with us over a long period to address legitimate concerns expressed by residents, the police and others.

The building has been operating as a club for seven years, despite only having a license (from the 1920s) to run as a private members’ club.

The club’s manager, Ben Hourahine, speaking to the Manchester Evening News, said “the council put us on an enforcement notice for its use as a nightclub which has been used for seven or eight years now.”

“We had no warning of this and no one from the Council made any attempt to speak to us.”

Alex Sansbury, local DJ and student at the University of Manchester, started an online petition backed by Antwerp Mansion on change.org. He said: “the closure of Antwerp is not because it is unsafe, it is not because they have had noise complaints, it is not due to thieves or drugs. The petition currently had over 15,000 signatures.

He claims that the closure of Antwerp “is because the council…want to destroy the student nightlife in this area irreparably… so students will have to go to the centre of town for a night out…which saves them [Manchester City Council] money.

“Our student community is being lied to by the Council and the Police; they are stifling creative spaces for all the wrong reasons.

“The student body must come together…to spread the truth about what is happening to our local nightlife.”

Manchester City Council said, “Manchester is rightly renowned for its nightlife and we welcome venues in neighbourhoods across the city but there has to be a balance so they work with the community, not against it. It is important that anyone opening a venue contacts the Council to get planning advice before they open.”

Antwerp Mansion issued a statement saying they had “no warning” that the club only had a license to operate as a primate members club and that “no one from the Council made any attempt to speak to us.

“During the appeal process both sides submitted evidence for and against the venue to continue as a nightclub. At this point MCC’s planning department started used every department available to them to gather evidence to support what we considered to be their very weak case.

“Despite no noise complaints in over two years, suddenly one was made and used in evidence against us. Licensing officers were regularly sent sometimes four or five nights a week on evidence gathering trips to inspect the building. Antwerp Mansion received letters from City Council licensing stating that we were in breach of multiple licensing conditions to our complete disbelief.”

Manchester City Council said, “our decision to take enforcement action against Antwerp Mansion has been scrutinised and upheld by an independent planning inspector appointed by the Government, who rejected Antwerp Mansion’s appeal.”

The club also claimed that, “the local authorities also want Antwerp Mansion removed from existence as it has been labelled a crime hotspot.” They alleged that the crime statistics are “meaningless” because the the majority of crime around the club involves phones being lost and registered as stolen for insurance purposes, but the Police do not record phones being returned.

Highlighting increasing concerns about crime in Fallowfield and surrounding areas, Antwerp Mansion asserted that “Antwerp Mansion is not a crime hotspot and we will not be blamed for students being attacked. It is the responsibility of the local authorities to look after its citizens at night.”

The Council said the club’s closure will be “good news for local residents who have put up with significant noise, violence and other anti-social behaviour brought to their neighbourhood because of Antwerp Mansion.”

A protest has been organised for the 16th of March in St. Peter’s square. The description of the event reads: “Antwerp Mansion has been a home to so many of us. I care deeply about the music scene in Manchester and the amazing venues that give it a place to live and thrive.”

Note: this is an amended version of previous article.

Photo: Pexels@Pixabay

Massive uprooting of campus greenhouses

Written by Meredith Sherock on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

The university’s Botanical Experimental Grounds will soon be redeveloped, further establishing Manchester as a key institution for botanical studies. These state-of-the-art greenhouse facilities will better allow researchers to study plant and soil responses to various climates and conditions.

Construction, which will be financed by the University of Manchester’s endowment funds, will begin in summer 2018 and will take approximately one year to complete. The current facilities were erected in 1982, leaving renovation overdue for decades. The new Grounds will ensure that the site meets modern standards, “matching the best in the world,” according to project lead Dr. Giles Johnson from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

The new greenhouses will allow researchers to grow plants in a range of conditions and temperatures, from subarctic to tropical. Additionally, scientists will be able to adjust the CO2 level of the growing facilities, which may predict plant responses to future climates. Drought and flooding effects will also be mimicked using precision watering systems. These controlled conditions should aid in understanding plants from the level of genes all the way up to their interactions as entire communities. “This will enable us to tackle research problems of food security and the impacts of climate change on natural ecosystems,” states Dr. Johnson.

Additionally, the site will house a new air quality research “supersite.” Here, researchers will collect high-quality data on the effects and origins of urban air pollution. Alongside University endowment funding, this branch will be funded by the Natural Environmental Research Council.

In total, the facilities will allow up to 30 scientists to work at a time, with each greenhouse providing 14 square metres of growth space. The new greenhouses will be located on the Fallowfield campus site, an area in which the university’s botanical history is rooted. This new site will exist on what was formally Sir Joseph Whitworth’s country estate, which was gifted to the University in 1887.

In 1909, the university’s first botanical gardens were developed in Fallowfield’s Ashburne Hall before moving to the current site in 1923. Within this history, Grounds researcher studied everything from the plants used in antidotes for World War I gas attacks to the disease-causing bacteria in Sudanese crops.

With this rich past in plant and soil research, this building upgrade will only continue the University’s botanical innovation. Professor Martin Schroder, Vice President of the University of Manchester and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, says: “This announcement is very much in-keeping with those traditions, and these latest developments will put the University at the forefront of botanical-based research in the sector.”

Photo: Jenny Liddle

Northern Vegan Festival promises a feast of delicious food

Written by Daisy Tolcher on . Posted in News.

Following the massive success of their 2017 event, The Northern Vegan Festival is BACK this year. This year’s event will offer a range of vegan cuisine, inspirational talks, cookery classes and much much more.

The food on offer will include a varied selection of plant-based dishes from around the world, including Asian, Indian and Greek cuisine. There will even be an eclectic array of raw dishes, gourmet dishes and street food dishes to sample. Similar to last year, there will be plenty of free samples to try so you can have a taste of everything!

Photo: Jenny Liddle
Photo: Jenny Liddle

If vegan food is not your thing, the festival will also feature a great selection of stalls selling a wide variety of goods including vegan fashion, beauty and skincare products. As well as stalls to look around there will be live music, workshops and live cookery demonstrations to keep you entertained all day.

Festival Organiser Victoria Bryceson says: “with the vegan lifestyle really starting to go mainstream there’s a massive demand for vegan-friendly events. The Northern Vegan Festival is set to be a fantastic day out whether you’re vegetarian, vegan, or simply vegan-curious. The idea behind the festival is to educate and inform everyone about the vegan lifestyle and offer support to anybody who would like it.”

Photo: Jenny Liddle
Photo: Jenny Liddle

And for those of you who are considering getting involved in volunteering or are looking for a future career in charity work, Victoria says the festival is the perfect place for you.

“There will be several animal welfare charity stalls raising awareness of their causes. For anybody who would like to get involved with volunteering this is an ideal place to talk to lots of different charities and gather information, and all the stall holders are happy to talk to people and answer any questions.”

The Northern Vegan Festival takes place on 7th April 2018 between 10:30 am and 5:00 pm at Manchester Central, Windmill Street, M2 3GX.

Entry is £5 payable on the day on the door — 100 per cent of the ticket money goes to animal welfare charities as the festival is fully volunteer run — or £15 for advance fast track tickets to include a goody bag packed full of products, samples, discounts and offers.

Photo: Pexels

Recipe: healthy one-pot chicken and lentils

Written by Daisy Tolcher on . Posted in Food & Drink.

This one-pot dish is low in calories, easy to cook, and makes enough for four portions — that’s lunch and dinner sorted!

Ingredients:

  • 200g red lentils (using red lentils will result in a soup-like texture. If your Tupperware leaks when containing liquids, use puy lentils so that this dish has more structure)
  • 500g chicken (thighs are better in terms of taste but breast can also work)
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 onion
  • 1tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cans of chopped tomatoes
  • 1.2l of chicken stock (this adds a lot of salt to the dish, important to bear in mind when seasoning)
  • 2tsp paprika
  • 1tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp all-purpose seasoning

Method:

  1. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion on a low heat until softened, add the garlic and cook for one more minute.
  2. Add the chicken and cook until browned.
  3. Stir in the carrot, lentils, tomatoes and spices. Add the stock so that it immerses the chicken.
  4. Leave the pan uncovered, reduce the heat and cook for half an hour until the chicken is cooked through and the lentils are tender. If using puy lentils you may have to adjust the cooking time to a further five minutes or so.

Season and enjoy!

Photo: Kirstie O'Mahony

Students ‘Reclaim the Night’

Written by Shivani Kaura on . Posted in News.

Thousands of students took to the streets of Manchester on the 22nd February to march against sexual violence and street harassment against women.

The march follows a sudden increase in attacks in student area, Fallowfield since September 2017.

3500 women marched in 2016, butthe numbers have declined since then with 2500 students marching in 2017 and approximately 1500 marching this year. Other figures have been quoted, up to 2700, but no official count was made on the night.

Photo: Kirstie O'Mahony
Photo: Kirstie O’Mahony

Caithlin, a student at the University who lives in Rusholme, just off the Curry Mile, said: “I do not feel safe on the streets of Manchester. I hate walking home on my own and have to carry a rape alarm every where I go.”

Patsy, a student who also attended the event, added: “I’m here to show solidarity with my sisters and it’s really important to promote and raise awareness for these issues that women have to face everyday.

“Last year, whilst we were on the march we had people throwing things at us and shouting hurtful comments, so we have to keep showing that we’re not afraid, even though we shouldn’t have to.”

‘Reclaim the Night’, led by student and non-student representatives featured a Muslim, ‘pro-choice’, youth and families and a LGBT block, as well as the women-only section in which any woman could participate.

Photo: Kirstie O'Mahony
Photo: Kirstie O’Mahony

Sara Heddi, the Women’s Officer at the Students’ Union, spoke to The Mancunion prior to the event about the blocs featured this year: “The Muslim women bloc is a fantastic addition to ‘Reclaim the Night’ and one that isn’t new. We had one last year that was well attended by multiple students! Its blocs like this that really embody of ‘Reclaim the Night’ and how intersectional it is.

“I am really happy to see other blocs this year as well such as the ‘Pro Choice Bloc’ and the Body Positive Bloc!”

Speaking to three-girls at the event, Faridat, Jessica and Lucy, about the different blocs, they said: “It’s nice to hear that women can identify to these different sections, although we should be able to walk together in solidarity without there being a divide. We’re united and we’re supposed to be together so we’ve chosen to stand in the women’s bloc.”

Speaking to the organiser of the Muslim Bloc this year, Hana Jafar stated at the event that “the University does have services to support young women, and The Union has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual harassment.

“I found that in the past, events organised by the Women’s Officer focusing on emotional abuse have been a step in the right direction, but it can’t end there, and it is not enough.

“Women are still being attacked, assaulted, and feeling vulnerable and helpless on campus. A recent policy to have a sexual assault advice page on the Students’ Union website was passed at Union Senate with 100 per cent of votes, and I think steps like these are small but crucial to preventing assault and making support more accessible for women.

“‘Reclaim the Night’ won’t make streets safer overnight, but it will remind women that they are not alone in their struggles, nor in their fight for a safer world for women and girls.

Photo: Kirstie O'Mahony
Photo: Kirstie O’Mahony

“This is my favourite night of the year because women of every cultural, ethnic, and religious background rally together to take a stand, and there is nothing more powerful than hundreds of voices chanting, singing and making their voices heard. This is one night where women literally take over the streets of Manchester, and I find that incredibly liberating and empowering.

“I hope for a day when we no longer have to rally in the streets to demand what is rightfully ours – safer streets, safer campuses, and safer workplaces.”

The Pro-Choice Bloc released a statement on their Facebook page proclaiming that, “[They] believe that it is a woman’s right to access abortion that is free, safe, legal and without harassment and intimidation. Every year thousands of woman around the world die as a result of not being able to access safe, legal abortion.

“In the UK, women in Northern Ireland still do not have the right to access legal abortion, forcing them to travel to England. However we have also seen in recent years, inspiring struggles for greater access to abortion.

“It is important that women join us at ‘Reclaim the Night’ to say that in Manchester it’s our bodies, our lives and our right to decide!”

‘Reclaim the Night’ has become a safe-space for women to talk about and share their experiences of why they have attended the night. Many have spoken out about how they feel more vulnerable later at night after hearing stories of women being followed home or groped after nights-out.

A retired sex-worker spoke to The Mancunion about her frustrations. Using the pseudonym ‘Freya’, she said: “I want rights, not rescue because I do not think the police does enough to protect sex-workers.

“The police are a lot of our clientele and tend to just pull our drivers over and check their licenses and make fun of us.

“This results in women who have been abused in sex-work not being able to come forward, making any harm done their fault and I don’t think that’s right.

“I want to see sex-work legalised so we can pay tax and claim back what we deserve. Protests like this help bring together awareness, but I also think that it’s nice to meet people who understand your situation and support you. This event is just as much for me as it is for everybody else.”

When asked what she would say to those police officers who allegedly make fun of them on the streets, she simply replied, “remember who f*cks the law.”

Photo: Kirstie O'Mahony
Photo: Kirstie O’Mahony

The march, held in the student populated areas of Manchester, intended to make women feel safer on the streets on their own and to increase awareness that the issue is there. Those that attended claimed that women should not have to feel like they need a man present when walking late at night to feel safe and should be able to live in a community where they are not endangered to sexual harassment, violence and victim blaming.

The Students’ Union also sold T-shirts prior to and at the event to raise money for sexual and domestic violence organisations within the local community, which are still available to buy from the Students’ Union website.

GMP were contacted for comment but did not reply.

Photo: Pixabay @ Pexels

Social media isn’t the cause of mental ill-health

Written by Aliya Ismangil on . Posted in Opinion.

I recently came across a BBC article, its headline reading, “Is social media causing childhood depression?” Intriguing. I read the article and found myself surprised at the one-sided feel of it. It was laden with statistics and expert opinions warning parents of the monster that is social media, inevitably ruining the next generation if we don’t do something about it now.

Only a small paragraph much further down in the article explained social media may also hold some benefits. Maybe it’s because I like my tech, maybe it’s because I grew up with social media — unlike, it seemed, the writers and researchers of the article — but I take issue with this stance.

Firstly, the obvious must always be said: correlation doesn’t equal causation. There is and has always been, a plethora of variables that lead someone to a diagnosis of clinical depression or anxiety. Though the article is very careful in its reporting of scientific evidence, headlines like this breed unnecessary alarm.

I agree that social media can be a significant contributing factor to mental ill-health, but I think it’s an exacerbation of factors that have always been here rather than a novel effect. An intense version of peer pressure, comparison, challenges to self-esteem, and bullying.

An extensive review of social media and its relation to neuroscience outline that social behaviours online and offline are remarkably similar. We tell others about things, we connect, and converse with people, we offer our opinions, we compare ourselves with others.
The difference is in the environment that these social interactions happen.

A key one is the proximity and anonymity of social media compared to the offline world. Online you can be anyone and no one; you can be thousands of miles away with a lovely barrier of pixels. And, taking it back to the classic psychology study by Milgram, both proximity and anonymity are important factors in how much someone ‘harms’ another.

Increased anonymity and the further removed an individual is, the more readily they will administer higher voltage ‘electric shocks’.

Another key difference observed by researchers is the instant and fast nature of social media.

There’s less time to think and more reactivity. These factors, and the popularity and prevalence of social media compound to make a potentially risky world of widespread harsh words and little thought. It is no surprise then that those who are already susceptible to such mental health difficulties have more chance of coming across such factors.

And for every piece of damning evidence, there is also a piece of evidence to say social media benefits people’s lives. A 2014 systematic review of 43 papers looking into social media use in adolescents revealed that the majority of studies found contradicting evidence or no effect. Though it is undeniable that there is evidence for harmful effects of social media, there are also studies that find benefits for social media use; these include things like increase self-esteem, perceived social support.

A study by researchers from Michigan State University shows that users feel better after supportive interactions online. Other research shows that the effect of social media on wellbeing in undergraduates depends on their motivations for using it.

It’s clear that there are many factors at play here. As with many things in life, I think the crucial thing to think about is how we use it. Everything in moderation. However, the discourse surrounding social media use in children and teenagers is completely off course here. It is not simply about limiting children to a set amount of hours of social media or phone use. It’s not about restriction.

Like it or not, social media is now a part of life. There are around two billion people worldwide that regularly use social media. It is a crucial part of our lives, just as emails are now an essential element of working life, and just as buses and cars are to how we get about. It’s about learning how to use social media as another helpful tool. Everything started as a new-fangled technology surrounded by scaremongering.

But we adapt, because adaptation is what humans do. So how do we adapt in this instance?

I think it’s something we should teach and openly discuss with children. Just as we’re taught manners in the offline world, how we’re taught email etiquette, how to know what bus to take, and how to drive. Humans are governed by rules, whether they be authoritative rules or social norms.

We have to create such norms about social media, so we’re on the same page.  Social media is a skill to be learnt. Our focus needs to shift from avoidance to adaptation. Social media shouldn’t be seen as a problem that will go away when we put it in a cage, it’s a tool that can improve the way we live if only we can all figure out how to use it best reap its benefits.

Photo: The Mancunion

Are You Coming Out? – The New LGBTQ Club Night

Written by Hannah Brierley on . Posted in Music.

On the 28th February at Club Academy, The University of Manchester LGBTQ Society is celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month by putting on a club night to remember! They’ve teamed up with Manchester Academy and the University of Manchester Student’s Union to put on an all-inclusive, fully accessible event.

“We’ve had loads of events throughout February celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month as well as all identities and expressions within the LGBTQ+ community and we would now like to put on a night to continue the celebration of our freedom, history, rights and progress of acceptance within society.

We are redefining the LGBTQ+ space in Manchester as a fully accessible, diverse night for everyone regardless who you are or where you come from, we accept all. It’s safe and familiar environment to students as it’s in the heart of the University campus and with it being a student night — that’s open to everyone — there will be cheap drinks! (Non-alcoholic drinks can also be purchased)

It’s a party that allows everyone of all identities to come together and to completely and unreservedly be themselves in our Student’s Union. The club night is open to everyone, especially minority identities such as BME LGBTQ+ people; you don’t have to be a student to come, and allies are also welcome. Expect music from Rap and R&B to House, Pop and more! We have gender-neutral toilets and a chill-out space.

The LGBTQ Society recognises the need for a more diverse and accepting LGBTQ+ nightlife spaces and events, we hope that this night helps to achieve this goal! As with all events we put on, there will be a zero tolerance policy to drugs and also any form of discrimination including, racism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, etc.

We are applying to a wider audience, more than just the usual people who go on nights out, with the hope to have a night that becomes to be part of both the student and Manchester experience!”

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW:

TICKETS ON SALE NOW FROM:
⭐️ SKIDDLE – skiddle.com/e/13130889
⭐️ MANCHESTER ACADEMY – po.st/i7XCuz
⭐️ OR BUY AT THE STUDENT’S UNION ‘ASK IT’ DESK TO AVOID PAYING BOOKING FEE!

https://www.facebook.com/events/163550491096462/

Photo: Team Ico

Review: Shadow of the Colossus (PS4)

Written by Jamie McEvoy on . Posted in Games.

Upon release, the PlayStation 2’s Shadow of the Colossus rapidly became renowned for its extraordinary graphics, innovative style, and captivating narrative. It was years ahead of its time, and prompted an overwhelmingly positive reaction from both critics and gamers, many touting it as one of the best video games ever made.

13 years on, and the masterpiece from Team Ico (the developers responsible for cult hit Ico, to which Shadow of the Colossus is known as a spiritual sequel) is making headlines again, this time on the PlayStation 4.

Players control Wander – a young man who has travelled to a mysterious and forbidden land in order to revive Mono: a lifeless girl who he has brought with him. In order to achieve salvation for his companion, he must defeat various ‘Colossi’ – enormous, armoured goliaths which are a combination of beast, rock, and earth. Each creature has a different Achilles’ heel which the player must seek and focus their attack on – usually only accessible by climbing up the titan as it strives to shake off its assailant. Upon defeat of these creatures, Wander loses consciousness, to wake at the temple where he has left Mono, before setting out to seek the next Colossus.

Don’t be mistaken – this is far from a hack and slash RPG. Each battle with the protagonist’s adversaries requires a tactical approach and patience. The monsters all have a different Achilles’ heel, which must be targeted in order to emerge triumphant. However, none of these victories evoke joy or pride from the player – as gargantuan and imposing as the enemies are, many are docile and are merely protecting their home from an intruder. It is hard to think of another title which plunges its audience into such a sense of discomfort and moral ambiguity through its gameplay.

When Sony announced this remake back in 2017, there was a mixed response. Did a game which still stood up to the test of time really need to be tweaked, especially seeing as a PS3-remastering had already been made? Was there the risk of ruining an already perfect product? Thankfully, this PS4 restoration by Bluepoint Games hardly changes a thing.

The original was beautiful enough with 2005-standard visuals, but after the addition of ultra-high definition art assets in the remake, it is now absolutely stunning. The first glimpse of one of Wander’s titanic foes is breath-taking, but equally is the wilderness players must traverse through. It is easy to accidentally spend hours just exploring the desolate setting without any narrative progression, but this is by no means a fault. A ‘Photo Mode’ has been added to allow players to screenshot specific moments in their adventures, which is an excellent way to capture moments of beauty and awe which the game is rife with.

The only criticism of the original that could possibly be made, would be its over-ambition. At times, the PlayStation 2 appeared to struggle with rendering some of the environment’s features – water and fog in particular. However, in this current-gen revival, this is a problem of the past, with modern consoles being more than capable of coping with these features.

A nice touch by Bluepoint Games is the addition of post-completion awards, which allow those who have played through the entirety of the game to attempt various challenges to unlock items, as well as a ‘Mirrored World’ which allows for mirrored gameplay of the entirety of the game. These are small embellishments, yet add further longevity and replay value.

A work of art as much as a jaw-dropping game which transcends the limits of genre, it is wonderful to see Shadow of the Colossus redefined in high definition and with extra dimensions added. There is a whole world of pointless, cash-grabbing remasters and reboots out there, but with a game that is so gripping and melancholically beautiful, this certainly isn’t one of them.

9/10

Photo: altogetherfool@flickr

Students call for public event with George Osborne

Written by Cameron Broome on . Posted in News.

Students at the University of Manchester are calling for George Osborne to lead an open, public and free event before the end of the academic year, including the Chairman of the Conservative Party’s Manchester student wing.

The former Chancellor was appointed as an Honorary Professor of Economics in June of 2017, with Vice-Chancellor Dame Nancy Rothwell suggesting that “students and staff will benefit from all of this experience.”

Osborne visited the University on the 29th of September 2017 to speak to postgraduate Economics students as part of an invite-only event, with just 60 tickets allocated on a first-come-first serve basis.

Speaking to The Mancunion after his inaugural lecture, Mr Osborne said that he was going to be “coming a few times a term, so there’ll be lots of opportunity to meet different groups of students in different formats” but has yet to be involved in another event with Manchester students since.

Siôn Davies, Chairman of Manchester Conservative Future, the student Conservative society of the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University, said, “George Osborne’s got a wealth of experience — as Chancellor of the Exchequer, as a local MP for Tatton, and as a driving force behind the Northern Powerhouse. His experience would benefit Manchester students massively.

“I’d be disappointed if I didn’t get to hear him do a public lecture before the end of the semester. I think he’d have a lot to say about the Northern Powerhouse; about how to promote growth and development in the region; and about how local and national government works. I know I’d have a lot of questions!”

Alex Tayler, current General Secretary of the Students’ Union, added: “I think it would be really great if he came again and it would be an interesting event that I’m sure a lot of students would benefit from it.

“I do really think he should come. I’m not going to slate him for not coming but I really think he should probably come about once a year to do a public event. He’s got a lot of insight and I’m sure he would spark an interesting debate.”

Mr Osborne told The Mancunion that he is “planning several visits to Manchester and events open to students” but did not commit to leading another event with students before the end of the academic semester.

Several students were initially critical of Osborne’s appointment and questioned the University’s rationale for giving the now Editor of The London Evening Standard a role at the University.

Outgoing Students’ Union Education Officer, Emma Atkins, had previously described his appointment as a “joke”.

She said: “How can Manchester honour this man whose track record over ‘economics’ was abysmal? I bet Economics students at Manchester would have something to say about being associated with him…”

It has been suggested that Mr Osborne’s appointment may have been influenced by the amount of money that he gave to the University during his time as Chancellor.

Commenting on this, Alex Tayler, General Secretary of the Students’ Union, said: “I know that some people think that he was only given the job because he gave money to the University but I’m not sure if I really believe that.”

Despite the initial debate surrounding his appointment, lots of students appear to have forgotten Mr Osborne’s involvement with the University entirely and have questioned if he has really made the impact that was first marketed by the University.

Conrad Gobrien, a second-year History and Economics student, said: “I had completely forgotten about the appointment. I haven’t seen or heard of any talks, debate or interactions that he’s done. To be honest, it seems like a PR stunt and just plain bull***t really.

“He hasn’t made any attempt to engage with the student population here (par that invite only thing which does not count). To sum up, it hasn’t benefited the students here whatsoever and his appointment seems like a PR stunt by the University hierarchy.”

A University spokesperson said: “we are in discussions about a number of events and engagements, but it is too soon to say when these will be or to give further details. He has already give a lecture to our postgraduate economics students earlier in the academic year.

“Not all events George Osborne will be involved in will be publicly advertised and some will be by invitation only to specific cohorts of students and staff, depending on the topic and purpose. Some events will remain private to students, as in the case of the lecture earlier this year, as we see it as one of the main purposes of his appointment for our students to learn from his vast experience as Chancellor.”

Commenting on a potential public event with George Osborne, Alex Tayler, Students’ Union General Secretary, said: “We should get Jacob Rees-Mogg to come as the bouncer.”

Tayler added: “It would be nice to get Theresa [May]. She did an event in town last week. If she could come publicly that would be nice, and not hide in a hotel.”

Live review: HMLTD

Written by Olivia White on . Posted in Music.

Having never properly listened to Happy Meal Ltd before last night, I didn’t really have a clue what to expect. Well, that’s partially a lie considering I had seen the extravagant six-piece band enter Sound Control (rest in peace) back in October before their set at Neighbourhood Festival.

Their image as a band struck me with awe. They left me thinking who on earth they were and that I must keep an eye out for them when they return to Manchester because their live performances would undoubtedly be a ‘show,’ if you know what I mean.

As HMLTD took to the stage, their garish style — a mix of baby doll chic and dominatrix leather — made me extremely excited for their set to begin. There’s something incredibly satisfying about witnessing a group of people express themselves so confidently and unapologetically, regardless of how unconventional and bizarre they may appear.

As soon as frontman Henry Spychalski strutted onto the stage to ‘Proxy Love’ in his floor-length cream fur coat and beret, it was clear a revolution had begun. An uprising that confined itself to the filthy, grimy walls of The White Hotel, but a revolution nonetheless, and one that is undeniably suited to 21st-century attitudes concerning gender norms and expectations.

HMLTD constructed an atmosphere charged with electricity, making their audience lunge forward time and time again in the hopes of clutching the hands of their leader, who promised nothing less than utter acceptance and exhilaration.

In fact, the crowd was so elated that within five minutes of their set I found myself helplessly laying on the stage itself due to the lack of barrier, and I had to be quickly grabbed and pulled back up onto my feet.

There is absolutely no doubt that this eccentric, outlandish, glam-punk rock sextet are incredibly serious about their live performances, and this is clearly illustrated through each of their stage presences, which remained solid throughout their set.

Each embodied a persona resonating with their choice of outerwear, making their performance almost a production rather than a gig. Their exhibition of their most famous song ‘To the Door’ was impeccable as it was embellished with Spychalski’s flailing arms and quick step gestures.

Unfortunately, at times such ambitious displays of dance meant that the vocals were lost amidst the striking movements, but nevertheless, HMLTD did not disappoint.

If there’s any band I want to be a part of, it’s HMLTD.

8/10